Mistaken identity: Is eyewitness identification more reliable than we think?

Much of the recent debate involves lineups — or, more commonly, photo arrays. In a traditional lineup, a witness views six to nine potential suspects (or their photographs) simultaneously. But in the 1980s, Wells started testing a new method: sequential lineups, in which possible suspects are viewed one at a time rather than all at once. He found that sequential lineups resulted in a significant decrease in the false identification rate, with only a small drop in the correct identification rate.